Ingot carrying vehicle



United States Patent Jerry L. Stoneburner P.0. Box 277, North Jackson,Ohio 44451 [21] Appl. No. 759,977

[22] Filed Sept. 16, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 17, 1970 [72] Inventor [54]INGOT CARRYING VEHICLE 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 296/1,214/82; 105/422 [51] Int. Cl 862d 33/00 [50] Field of Search 296/23.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,795,539 7/1954 Hughes105/422 3,342,523 9/1967 Lutgen 296/100 3,244,119 4/1966 Garrett 105/355Primary Examiner- Philip Goodman Att0rney-Webster B. Harpman ABSTRACT:An ingot carrying vehicle particularly adapted for transporting hotsteel ingots and including a plurality of ingot receiving cradles, aninsulated deck beneath said cradles and a plurality of telescopicallyslidable insulated cover sections and ends for completely enclosing saidingots whereby said ingots may be shipped without critical temperatureloss.

Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,771

INVENTOR.

JERRY L. STONEBURNER BY ATTORNEY:

INGOT CARRYING VEHICLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention This invention relates to trucks and trailers and moreparticularly to insulated trailer constructions having closure means andadapted to handle hotmetal ingots.

2. Description ofthe Prior Art No prior art ingot carrying trailers areknown and such vehicles including trucks and trailers as have beenprovided with closures have been concerned with weather protectionrather than heat insulation. None of the prior art known can be used forhauling red hot metal ingots. This invention permits the transfer of redhot ingots from an ingot stripping operation in a steel mill. at soakingpit or otherwise directly to a rolling mill or the like for reductionofthe ingot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is aperspective view of a trailer showing most of the insulated coversections in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross section on line 4-4 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross section on line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT By referring to the drawings andFIG. 1 in particular, it will be seen that the ingot carrying vehicledisclosed herein takes.

the form of an over-the-road trailer having a deck and ground engagingwheels 11. The wheels 11 are-engagedon axle structures which arearranged in tandem beneath the trailer deck 10 as-will be understood bythose skilled in the art.

The forward end of the trailer is shown supported on a temporary dolly12 which is foldable upwardly into retracted position when the traileris positioned partially on a truck or tractor so as to be towed therebyas will occur to those skilled in the art.

The deck 10 of the trailer is formed of noncombustible materials andincludes spaced rows of cross sectionally angle like rails 13 at eitherside thereof and extending longitudinally thereof. The deck 10 of thetrailer has a fixed forward insulated wall 14 and a fixed rearwardinsulated wall 15 and a plurality of telescopically arranged movablypositioned cover sections 16 positioned between the forward and rearwardinsulated walls 14 and 15 respectively and supported on the angle likerails 13.

The support comprises a plurality of wheels of configurationsregistering with the angle like rails 13 as may best be seen in FIG. 5of the drawings. These wheels 17 are journaled on axles 18 extendingbetween the spaced walls of an axle box 19. A plurality of the axleboxes 19 are secured at spaced intervals along the bottom edges of thecover section 16 as best seen in FlG. 1 ofthe drawings.

Each ofthe axle. boxes 19 is provided with a downwardly extending inturned and up turned hook 20 which is engaged in sliding relationbeneath the respective angle like rail 13 on which that particular coversection 16 is positioned.

It will be seen that each of the cover sections 16 has a pair of thewheel carrying boxes 19 on the opposite sides thereof and that each ofthe cover sections 16 are of different widths and that each of the pairsofwheels on each of the sides thereofare and the outermost edge of thedeck 10 of the trailer. These binder clamp assemblies are manuallyoperated and serve to hold the cover section 16 against accidentaldisplacement as well as against longitudinal movement on the trailerduring transport of the'ingots therein. The binder clamp assemblies mustbe removed when the cover sections 16 are moved to permit access to theingots on the trailer.

By referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that a crosssection has been illustrated which shows each of the plurality of coversections 16 and their arrangement with respect to one another and thefact that the smallest of the cover sections 16 still provides adequateclearance for any one of a plurality of ingot receiving cradles 21 eachof which cradles is positioned on the deck 10 ofthe trailer and spacedwith respect thereto by suitable heat insulation 22 as best seen in FIG.4 of the drawings.

The cradles 21 comprise rectangular frames including transverse memberswhich directly receive the ingots and each of corners of each of thecradles 21 and prevent it from shifting relative thereto. The offsetbrackets 24 are illustrated with coverings of suitable heat insulationmaterial and the deck 10 of the trailer is also so covered and the innersurfaces of the fixed forward wall and the fixed rearward wall are alsoso covered.

A suitable insulation material for the purpose is an alumina silicaterefractory fiber material such as-commercially available under thetrademark Fiberfrax or Kao-wool. The deck 10 of the trailer is alsoprovided with an aluminum member having a polished upper surfaceproviding a relatively highdegree of reflective insulation with respectto heat radiation directed there against.

Those skilledirt the art will observe that steel ingots as removed froman ingot mold or a soaking pit are frequently of a temperatureapproximating 2,l00F. and that if the ingots are to be reduced thetemperature must be largely retained-by the ingots when they reach thereduction facilities such as a rolling mill. By hauling the ingots inthe trailer disclosed herein the heat of the ingots is largely retainedas the entire device is constructed to prevent loss of heat of theingots. At the same time, the structure of the trailer vehicle andthecover sections etc. are protected by the insulation from the hightemperatures involved.

While four cover sections are shown on the trailer vehicle chosen forthe purposes of illustration herein, it will occur to those skilled inthe'art that the number of cover sections may be varied so long as theyare capable of movement to provide free and easy access to the cradlesas upon the loading or unloading of ingots therefrom. It will also occurto those skilled in the art that the arrangement of the cover sectionsis such that they engage one another at'their end sections when inextended or covering relation so as to prevent air leakage through thesame which would otherwise cool the ingots being.

transported.

The front fixed insulated wall 14 and the rearward insulated wall 15while noted as being fixed to the deck 10 ofthe trailer be moved out ofthe .way of a crane or other device loading ingots or removing ingotsfrom the trailer vehicle if so desired.

The above described structure provides relatively easy and fast loadingof hot ingots and their rapid covering and permits economical andefficient truck" transport of the ingots from their place of formationto a rollingmill or other facility which may, therefore, be located atsome distance from the point of origin.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has beenillustrated and described. it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that various changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the inven tion.

I claim:

1. A vehicle for transporting hot ingots and consisting of a supportingstructure having ground engaging wheels. a plurali' ty of cradlespositioned on said supporting structure and insulated with respectthereto and a plurality of telescopically engageable slidable insulatedcover sections on said'vehicle arranged to enclose said cradles andingots therein and forward and rearward insulated wall sections forclosing the ends of said cover sections.

2. A vehicle for transporting hot ingots set forth in claim 1 andwherein the cover sections are insulated with alumina silicate fiberinsulation and incorporate closure means between the respective sectionswhen in extended ingot covering position.

3. The vehicle for transporting hot ingots set forth in claim I andwherein said structure has a plurality of rails positionedlongitudinally thereof along each of the longitudinal sides thereof andwherein said cover sections have supporting wheels pivoted theretoengaged on said rails together with means on said cover sectionsengaging said rails in oppositely disposed relation to said wheels toretain said cover sections in position thereon.

4. The vehicle for transporting hot ingots set forth in claim 1 andwherein each of said cradles includes a rectangular base and verticallyextending ingot engaging and retaining members on each'of the corners ofsaid base and wherein the portions of the cradle engaging the ingot area relatively small area with respect to the cradle and the ingot.

